Pinball Wizard

MELBOURNE: David Neitz - Neck - Long-term injury list Jack Grimes - Back - Long-term injury list Adam Yze - Achilles - Test Colin Sylvia - Hamstring - 1-2 weeks Ricky Petterd - Groin - 3-4 weeks No mention there of Michael Newton who missed last week or Matthew Whelan who was off after half time at Sandy. ADELAIDE: Ben Rutten (glute): Test Richard Douglas (knee): 4 weeks Brad Symes (ankle): 2-3 weeks Trent Hentschel (hamstring): available Brad Moran (hamstring): 6 weeks Brent Reilly (wrist): available for round eight. Nick Gill (hamnstring): available. Luke Jericho (cracked sternum): available. Bryce Campbell (ankle): available. Myke Cook (hamstring): one week. Greg Gallman (knee): 2 weeks. Rhett Biglands (knee): The anterior cruciate in his left knee was reconstructed on February 21. What's a glute?

No Demons in the squad. Call the RACV, they probably care. I don't.

I don't think Melbourne embraced the whole NSW scholarship thing under CAC and now that there's going to be another team in Sydney I doubt whether it's going to last much longer. Some other clubs already have NSW players on their lists while others have players who are doing well at the Under 18 championships. It looks like another area like overseas recruiting where we've missed the boat because we don't have the finances, the imagination or both to get involved.

And to think that if Melbourne was playing like it is now way back in Round 22 we would have been well placed to secure both he and the Fijian kid at the end of the year draft. We wouldn't have even been accused of tanking either!

With Neitz and Robbo in horrible form, what we really needed was to lose our CHF. I guess Bater or Newt has to come in now.

The statistics for the weekend of free kicks recived in the forward are interesting. North Melbourne received 10 - double that of the next team. I would suggest that indicates the sloppiness of our playing in moving the ball out of defence. Opposition coaches know the way we play and capitalise on our poor disposal and decision making: North Melbourne 10 Geelong 5 Sydney 5 Adelaide 4 St. Kilda 4 Essendon 3 Fremantle 3 West Coast 3 Brisbane 2 Carlton 2 Melbourne 2 Port Adelaide 2 Richmond 2 Collingwood 1 Western Bulldogs 1 Hawthorn 0

Busted hand for PJ (4 weeks) Looks like Jamar in and Jake Spencer gets a gig at Sandy.

Just out of interest, does anyone know the free kick stats?

What wind? I've just been walking outside and there's not even a zephyr!

There's another report in the Advertiser today - MELBOURNE KEEN TO BREAK PRE-SEASON DUCK IN BENDIGO Among the Melbourne squad to play at the QEO will be former Bendigo Pioneer Colin Sylvia, who is preparing to embark on his fifth season with the Demons. Williams says Sylvia will head into the season on the back of the best pre-season he has enjoyed since being drafted to Melbourne. ‘‘Colin has been in the system for five years now and this is definitely the best pre-season he has managed to get through,’’ said Williams, who is in charge of the Demons’ midfield.

I would advise the removal of Chri$ Judd from that list. If you value the $, the most heavily fined corporate cheat in the land and the facilities at MC Labour Park over our club then you're not really a "supporter" at all.

STARS BACK FOR QEO CLASH "The Western Bulldogs will hold the edge in experience in tomorrow night’s NAB Challenge match for the Tynan-Eyre Cup against Melbourne at the Queen Elizabeth Oval." "While the likes of Neitz, Robertson, Davey and co are familiar names, Melbourne has also selected four of the five players it drafted last November - Cale Morton, Addam Maric, Kyle Cheney and Tom McNamara."

Ricky Petterd returns to the game tonight for the first time since his life threatening lung collapse in last year's game v Carlton (Tank I). It's like a breath of freh air!

I thought I'd do a run down of where our list is at following the Canberra practice match based on the various reports of training and the match itself. Feel free to comment, correct or add to these observations:- 1. Simon Buckley – Played/ was in the game a lot, got the ball and used it well 2. Nathan Jones - Played/among the best of the on ballers 3. Clint Bartram - DNP (rehab/ did some training before the game) 4. Ben Holland - Played/ moved well, marked strongly 5. Brock McLean - DNP (knee) 6. Matthew Bate - Played/ did well at both midfield and half forward, kicked a couple of long goals 7. Brad Miller – Played/ did reasonably well at CHB 8. James Frawley – Played/ defended well 9. David Neitz - DNP (rested) 10. Cale Morton - Played/ collected plenty of possessions on the wing and across half-back 11. Paul Johnson – Played/ moved well to space, found his targets, took marks and kicked a couple of goals 12. Colin Sylvia – Played/ has slimmed down & was a permanent forward 13. Adem Yze - Played (eye injury - minor) 14. Lynden Dunn - DNP (groin/ did some training before the game) 15. Ricky Petterd – Played/ looked a bit rusty which was understandable 16. Jack Grimes - DNP (rehab/ trained lightly) 17. Chris Johnson - DNP (did some training before the game) 18. Brad Green - Played/ solid hitout 19. Adamm Maric - DNP (school commitments) 20. Colin Garland – Played/ reasonable performance 21. Daniel Bell - Played/ looked good in defence 22. Brent Moloney – Played/ big possession winner and played out the game well 23. James McDonald - DNP (family wedding) 24. Russell Robertson – Played/ solid hitout 25. Kyle Cheney - Played/ did some nice things 26. John Meesen - Played/ did well around the ground 27. Jared Rivers - DNP (rehab/ looked solid at training) 28. Isaac Weetra – Played/ fast and elusive with good forward defensive skills, kicked a few goals 29. Michael Newton - Played/ took a screamer, kicked a goal and ran well off Miller at CHF 30. Tom McNamara – Played/ did some nice things but still a way to go 31. Paul Wheatley - DNP (trained before the game) 32. Cameron Bruce - DNP (knee) 33. Stefan Martin – Played/ showed something in defence, improved as the game went on 34. Jeff White – Played/ solid hitout 35. Trent Zomer - Played/ took a couple of strong marks 36. Aaron Davey - Played/ flashed in and out of the game with his usual zest 37. Matthew Warnock – Played/ did not show out 39. Austin Wonaeamirri – Played/ a live-wire in the midfield and up forward 40. Mark Jamar – Played/ competitive against White, good in some bullocking situations 41. Nathan Carroll – Played/ worked hard 42. Jake Spencer – DNP/ trained well earlier in the week 43. Jace Bode – Played/ reasonable but got caught a couple of times 44. Shane Valenti – Played/ won his share of clearances in the middle and used the ball with precision 45. Matthew Whelan - DNP (rehab/ did some training)

The Sunday Herald Sun article says "Stars bolster Bailey's team" but they're all off field stars. "THE Demons are second-favourite for the wooden spoon, but new Melbourne coach Dean Bailey believes he has assembled a premiership quality off-field team."

The worst part of the proposal to add two more teams playing out of Victoria is that inevitably teams like Melbourne and the Bulldogs will be firstly, under pressure to relocate and secondly, will play more games interstate and teams like Collingwood will still have their easy draw and an annual four trips interstate (of which only one will be to WA) plus no trips to Skilled Stadium. In other words, the additional teams would add to our competitive disadvantage. Melbourne fans should send the message to the Board that we don't want teams 17 and 18 unless all Victorian clubs have a similar deal year in year out as far as interstate clubs are concerned. Otherwise, a vote for extra teams is suicide.

The Herald Sun has a great article on Dean Bailey - DEAN OF MELBOURNE

Adem Yze is desperate to reclaim a Demon jumper after a horror stretch - YZE BACK IN HUNT.

According to this article in today's Age, Neitz to lead Dees until he decides otherwise the wankers story is a [censored] -"The club has rejected reports that consulting firm Leading Teams will decide the captaincy."

Thanks Big Kev. Just been reading that post myself. Do you know anything about Andrew Campbell - definitely not from Melbourne. Perhaps Melbourne Grammar or Melbourne High?

The article mentions six new players invited to train with our other unlisted players. Do they have names?

When does Advisory panel #4 come out?

Captaincy decision is Neitz's to make Still a tough call IMO.

Here's his original nickname - "T-Mac"!

MAC'S DEE-LIGHTED SANFL talent manager Brenton Phillips said McNamara – an AIS football academy graduate – would develop into a medium-sized, running defender. "Don't be surprised if we see him playing at AFL level in the next two years," he said. "He's certainly got the potential."